FAQ

What is a luxury tour? A luxury tour is one where every aspect of your wonderful trip has been arranged to suit your personal needs and interests, time constraints and budget. Your tour will always include airline bookings, luxury accommodation, private or small group touring, private transfers between airports and hotels via chauffeur drive cars, early and late hotel checkouts, the full services of our local specialist offices in each country you visit in the South Pacific and assistance with entry visas. Restaurant recommendations and reservations, bookings for theatre and spa treatments are all part of your luxury tour. Your sightseeing leisure time activities will be selected according to your personal interests, tastes and desires. Your luxury tour will exceed your expectations.

You do not know me. How can you design a tour that will suit my needs?
We are great listeners with vast local knowledge. Before we begin creating any itinerary we chat with our clients at great length to determine their lifestyle, personal interests, trip expectations, fitness level, budget and the type of accommodation that best suits their taste. We draw upon our wonderful experiences and vast local knowledge and lastly add a touch of Aussie magic to create the itinerary that will perfectly suit each clients needs. Our superior customer service, passion and commitment to excellence bring dreams to life.

What arrangements do you make?
To ensure the arrangements are flawless the Aussies at Australia 2000 Travel make all the travel arrangements. We book international and domestic flights, all accommodations, all tours, all transfers, rental cars and motor cycles. According to your desires we also make restaurant recommendations and reservations, purchase tickets to theatre and sports events, book spa treatments, games of golf, wine tastings, water taxis, arrange dinners in private homes and walks through private gardens. We have the ability to book your special desire from charter sail boats and airplanes to fly fishing excursions and tandem parachute jumps.

How do you choose your accommodations?
Our hotel selection is based equally upon location, quality, and service. To enhance your feeling of being ensconced in the culture we always aim to recommend locally owned and operated boutique hotels, lodges and bed and breakfast inns. Because we inspect each accommodation we are able to recommend the room with the best view. Our relationships with the local hoteliers ensure that added touch.

How do you choose your guides?
We expend a great deal of effort in choosing our local guides. We meet them personally and take their tours. Our guides are accredited and are selected on the basis of their passion, local knowledge, sense of history, story telling ability, sense of humor, contacts that open closed doors, flexibility, style and quality vehicles specifically suited to the touring needs.

Will I have to carry luggage?
There will be no need to carry your luggage. Your private airport and hotel transfers via chauffeur driven vehicles ensure that you will not need to carry your luggage. Portage is included at all accommodations.

What if I need additional help when I am away?
Help is just a phone call away. In each South Pacific country we have representatives who make all of our bookings and are available to help you. Should you be scheduled to take an excursion that due to inclement weather is not able to proceed you would call our local office that will reschedule that day trip, make a substitution or arrange for a refund on your return to your home if no other option is viable. If for some reason you needed to return to your home early our representatives will make the necessary changes and arrangements for you. It is rare that people need these services but comforting to know that they exist.

What makes you special?
Our passion, superior customer service, attention to deal, vast local knowledge make us special. It is the hidden extras that ensure our trips exceed our clients expectations. The private transfers via chauffeur driven vehicles that eliminate any concern of missing flights or lifting luggage. Our personal relationships with hoteliers ensure rooms with views, the occasional free upgrade or invitation to drinks.

Our final document package contains travel tips that help reduce the burden of long haul flights across the Pacific Ocean, packing suggestions, information on tipping, the weather, electrical currents and clothing sizes. A map of Los Angeles Airport helps the traveler move from their arrival terminal to their international airline carriers departure terminal. Along with contact details our final itinerary informs the traveler of just what they will need to take on any particular sightseeing tour on any given day. The City Highlights portion of our travel package contains suggestions of additional sights to see, gardens to visit, and restaurants that are well loved by the locals.

What are your credentials?
We are fully accredited Aussie Specialists, 100% Pure New Zealand Specialists, Fiji Specialists and exclusive invitation only members of Luxperience. We are members of ASTA and IATAN.

How do you keep up to date?
We travel to the South Pacific several times each year to cement our personal relationships with our hand picked guides, to do sight inspections and to seek the new. In addition we are honored to be invited to attend annual travel conventions run by the tourism boards of Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

These conventions are held in the parent country and afford us the opportunity to have one on one meetings with the local tour professionals and to learn about the new and exciting changes that have been incorporated.

Can I book my own international airfare?
Yes you can. To ensure efficiency in our land bookings we request a copy of your flight itinerary.

Will you work with my travel agent?
Most certainly. We help many travel agents plan remarkable trips for their valuable clients.

Why did you name your company Australia 2000 Travel?
I am a fifth generation Australian from Sydney. The Sydney zip code is 2000.

Do I need a passport?
Yes. A passport with 6 months validity beyond your return date is required for people traveling to any part of Australia, New Zealand and the remainder of the South Pacific and for re entry to your home country.

Do I need a visa?
Visitors to Australia must have an entry visa. A visa is not required for entry into New Zealand or Fiji .

Where do I get a visa?
The staff of Australia 2000 Travel procures Australian entry visas for our clients.

How long does it take to fly to Australia?
It takes 14 hours to fly non-stop between Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia.

We look upon the time as being equivalent to 3 movies, 2 meals, a snack and a nap.

How long does it take to fly to New Zealand?
It takes 12 hours 50 minutes to fly non-stop between Los Angeles and Auckland, New Zealand.

How long does it take to fly to Fiji?
It takes 10 hours 45 minutes to fly non-stop between Los Angeles and Nadi, Fiji.

Can I see all of Australia in 2 weeks?
No. Australia is as large as continental United States. We will create an itinerary for you that will let you see the highlights of this remarkable country in 2 weeks.

Is Australia 2000 Travel regarded as a consolidator?
No we are not consolidators. We do understand the various airfares used by the airlines flying to the South Pacific. We are always up to date on any specials being offered by the airlines and use the best fare available to accommodate a budget and travel needs.

Do you work with people purely on a consultancy basis?
Yes. Our consultancy fee is a flat rate of $350. For this we will answer any questions pertaining to travel to the South Pacific up until your date of departure. We will not write an itinerary.

Do you arrange weddings and honeymoons in the South Pacific?
Yes we do. We are happy to help you plan your wedding or honeymoon in any one of the many romantic spots in the South Pacific.

Do you have a minimum booking requirement?
Yes, we require a minimum of $1,000 per adult.

How big is Australia ?
Australia is the same size as continental USA excluding Alaska and Hawaii.

What is the time difference?
Between April and November Australia is 17 hours ahead of the West Coast of USA and 14 hours ahead of the east coast.
Between November and April Australia is 19 hours ahead of the West Coast of USA and 16 hours ahead of the east coast.

What will the weather be like in Australia?
It varies. Australia is the same size as continental USA and as such varying temperatures will be found around the country. Remember the seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere.

Would I want to travel in their winter?
Yes. Most of Australia and New Zealand has mild winters. For example, the normal winter high in Sydney in July is 64 degrees. We can always make suggestions as to where the weather will most suit your needs.

What sort of money do they use?
Australia and New Zealand have their own monetary systems. Each one is based upon the metric system using dollars and cents.

Can we use credit cards in Australia & The South Pacific?
Yes. American Express, Mastercard, and Visa are all acceptable in Australia & the South Pacific.

Is it true that tipping is not required in Australia , New Zealand and Fiji ?
Yes. For exceptional service in Australia you might wish to leave a tip of 10%. Tipping is not welcomed in Fiji. Remember that slow service in South Pacific restaurants is considered good service. We believe in giving diners a chance to enjoy one anothers company over a leisurely meal.

Will I be able to cuddle a koala?
There are several sanctuaries that permit cuddling koalas. As this has proved to be a very stressful experience for the koala it is mostly discouraged.

Do you ever lead groups yourself?
Occasionally.

Can I travel free to Australia and the remainder of the South Pacific?
Yes you can. When you lead a group of more than 20 people the 21st person usually travels free. When you have a group of friends or associates who wish to travel together we will be happy to help you plan a vacation to the South Pacific that will exceed their expectations.